Cummins announces 119 jobs to go and Antich in administration

Feb 6 2009 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

MORE job losses have been announced by one of Hudders-fied’s largest employers.

Engineering firm Cummins Turbo Technologies is to axe 119 jobs on top of 72 redundancies announced before Christmas.

The Turnbridge-based company has embarked on a 90-day consultation period with workers and union representatives over the latest job cuts, which will be made across all areas of the business.

Plant manager Mark Prior said the US-owned firm, which has 1,100 workers at Huddersfield and 3,000 worldwide, had been presented with “tough decisions” following a fall in demand for its products.

After five consecutive years of growth, the company reported a 30% fall in order volumes during the second half of the year. Sales had fallen further since the start of 2009.

“It is clear the recession is still biting hard and we have to respond to it,” said Mr Prior. “We were in a position at the end of last year when customers were starting to cancel orders for products we had already made.”

Mr Prior said that in addition to job cuts, the firm was looking to improve efficiency in its manufacturing and engineering operations.

“We need to change and improve what we are doing and get ourselves ready when the business does return,” he said. “We need to be more efficient and profitable than we were coming into this recession.”